Count To One Million
by NCISBALTOFAN
Summary: (ONESHOT, Implied Destiel, S8 Spoilers at the end.) Dean and Castiel had a mutual agreement if anything ever happened to either of them, "Count to one million and when you finish counting I'll be there, but hopefully neither of us will ever have to count to one million."


**Oneshot**

Dean Winchester by nature expected bad things to happen. It was part of the "career" he'd chosen and he'd had, in his opinion, nothing but bad things happen to him and his family the people he cared about most. He and his brother Sam were practically experts in unfortunate circumstances. Sam and Dean had worked alongside one another for years even after Sam left Stanford after Jessica's death. They really did work best as a team, a brainiac and a high school dropout with a "give em hell attitude". They had a system too, a mutual agreement about what was to be done if either of them died or lost their way.

Then Castiel came along.

At first things had been as they'd always been. The agreement between Sam and Dean still held true and stood, but Sam noticed a change in Dean after Castiel stuck around, ignoring his superiors and choosing to live life down on earth unless he was called back. Sam chose to stand back and let Dean work through his emotions, lest he be accused of stating that Dean was now constantly having a supposedly horrid "chick flick moments" with Castiel almost once every time the angel appeared. Sam often times felt like a third wheel, but he was content with seeing his brother at least have a shred of happiness in his entirely messed up life, even if that shred was small.

Sam wasn't aware of Castiel and Dean's mutual agreement though.

"_If either of us should get lost along the way, we count to one million and the other person will be there when we finish counting, but hopefully it'll never take the other person that long to reach us."_

That was all she wrote and Dean had even come up with the agreement himself.

-8-8-8-8-8-

Dean could feel the blood dripping down his neck. The werewolf had done a number on him, but luckily Dean was able to stab it before it managed to transform him. The open wound still remained though and Dean gasped at every intake of breath. They were all painful, but each one was more painful than the last. He touched his neck where the werewolf had bitten him and winced. The creature had severed a vital artery and Dean was basically bleeding out. He gasped for air and struggled to stand. He figured if he made it to his car he could at least get his phone and call Sam, tell him he was sorry for anything he ever did wrong in his life.

Then Dean remembered what he'd said to Castiel.

"_Cas," _he prayed through his thoughts, he could barely speak. "_I know you can hear me man, listen I don't have much longer, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for anything bad I did in your eyes. I don't mean to do bad things, they just happen. As for our agreement Cas well, I'm counting right now…one…two…three…"_

Dean didn't even make it until ten before he heard that familiar flap of wings and he felt a warm hand on his neck, healing it. Dean gasped suddenly and choked in all the air he could muster until it completely filled his lungs again.

"C-Cas…" Dean rasped out.

"Dean," Castiel replied. "I am here, I came at ten, as fast as I could. You're safe now. You will live to see another day."

Dean gripped Castiel's forearm as the angel wrapped Dean in his arms. Dean felt safe instantly, as if none of the previous events had ever happened. He just wanted to sit like this forever.

"Try coming by five next time." Dean chuckled, still having a death grip on Cas.

-8-8-8-8-8-

Castiel was dizzy and lumbering footsteps were lopsided and slow. He felt sick. He sat on the park bench surrounded by silence and the cool fall air. He shivered a bit and pulled his trench coat closer to his body. He didn't understand why he felt this way.

"Dean…" he called out to no one, but somehow he felt that if he cried out loud enough that the real Dean would hear him wherever he was in this town. Castiel began to count.

"_One…two…three…" _

_ "Thirteen…fourteen…"_

_ "Twenty two…"_

_ "Twenty five…"_

"Cas…?" a familiar voice was heard and Castiel stopped his reciting of numbers and looked up to face Dean.

"Dean…" Castiel coughed and Dean's hand was immediately rubbing a circle on the small of his back. "I knew you'd come."

"We had an agreement didn't we?" Dean chuckled and placed the scarf that had rested on his neck around Castiel's. He helped the angel up from the bench and to the motel room where the air was warm and the bed looked more inviting than had ever before to the angel. Dean helped Castiel take his shoes off and he hung up the angel's trench coat on the rack by the door. He pulled back the covers on his bed and tucked them up to Castiel's chest. The angel turned on his side and let out a deep tired sigh. Dean continued to rub circles on Castiel's back which the angel found very soothing.

"I would've made it sooner," Dean explained. "But it was honestly by sheer luck that I found you Cas, I heard the counting when I entered the park because it was so quiet."

"You made it by twenty-five Dean," Castiel replied with a small smile. "That's very good for a human's means of traveling especially by foot."

"I can't tell if that's a compliment or an insult?" Dean laughed, causing Castiel to as well, but he broke into a coughing fit. Dean placed a hand on his forehead and sighed. "Fever Cas…not good."

"I didn't mean to acquire one of these "fevers" you speak of Dean." Castiel cocked his head slightly. His eyes were drooping tiredly.

"Nobody ever does Cas." Dean stroked the hair away from his sweaty forehead. "Just try to get some sleep ok?"

-8-8-8-8-8-

"_C-Cas…" _Dean's broken voice filled the receiver; he'd been crying Castiel could tell. "_I-I need you…I-I don't know if I can stop myself this time Cas…please I don't wanna hurt myself…!"_

"Dean," Castiel calmly talked into the phone. He'd finally mastered how to use one. "You need to breathe Dean and you need to put the gun down…I can hear you moving it in between your fingers…"

"_Curse you, you damn angel with your perfect hearing_!" Dean cried out, Castiel ignored the insult which was merely a result of Dean's current exasperated mental state. "_I-I can't do it Cas..I want to but I…I'll put the gun down I promise I just…I need you now Cas please!"_

"Alright Dean." Castiel talked him down a bit before resuming his speech about putting down the weapon. "I'll be there soon ok? Just…you know what to do Dean."

With that Castiel hung up…and Dean started counting.

"O-one…"

"T-Two…"

Dean bit his lip and let the tears spill out. The gun was cocked, it was ready. He could do it. He had to do it, to atone for all his sins, and Castiel wouldn't, he couldn't possibly, make it in enough time.

"T-T-Three…"

Dean's hand was shaky as he pressed the barrel to his head. He closed his eyes and tried, oh did he try, so hard to pull that trigger but he heard that flap of wings and he felt a rush of cold run through his blood. Castiel had come.

"C-Cas…" Dean said in a whisper and the gun was dropped by his feet. The leather seat of the Impala was felt on the small of his back and his one hand had gripped the wheel so tightly his fingers might as well have been white. "C-Cas…I-I put it down…I promise…"

"I know Dean I know…" Castiel touched his shoulder and was immediately engulfed in a tight embrace by Dean. "I'm proud of you. I am. Now just breathe ok? You can cry if you need to."

Dean nodded and proceeded to weep. Castiel held him close, never wanting to let him go. Dean had days and nights like this. Castiel called them "Dean's Bad Nights". On "Dean's Bad Nights" Castiel would come before Dean even had a chance to count to four and he'd hold him. He'd hold him until his tears ran dry and the thoughts stopped. Dean would often fall asleep in Castiel's arms as he did right in that moment.

-8-8-8-8-8-

_Months and Months Later…_

After the angels fell Castiel felt alone. He could no longer feel Dean's soul, their profound bond was unbreakable and that was always there, but Castiel could no longer just fly to Dean's location. That saddened him.

Castiel had somehow made his way to a town just outside of Lebanon in Kansas. He didn't know what, but something had compelled him to go there. He'd established a place for himself and slowly but surely was learning to be human, but something, something big was missing.

Dean.

Surely the mutual agreement they'd established still stood as just?

Castiel was feeling alone, he wanted to see Dean again. Dean was the only thing on earth or in Heaven that made Castiel happy. Dean was his cause, his passion, his life. He couldn't just let that slip away because of one thing.

Castiel pulled out his phone and dialed Dean's number, there was a light airiness in Dean's voice when he answered, but there was always that small hint of sadness and monotone that followed.

"_Cas?" _Dean asked, bewildered. "_Is that you?"_

"Hello Dean," Castiel replied. "It's me. I needed to hear your voice Dean. I needed to know you were ok."

_"I'm fine Cas," _Dean was shocked. "_I just...wow…you're alive."_

"Very alive but very human Dean," Castiel said. "I do not like this, but I do believe you humans say "it is what it is"."

"_Cas buddy," _Dean was saddened by his words. "_Where are you right now?"_

"Just outside of Lebanon Kansas." Castiel replied.

_"That's where I am Cas." _Dean smiled a bit, pulling on his coat. "_We'll meet halfway by the sign that says "now entering" please Cas be there ok?"_

"Ok Dean I will." Castiel nodded.

_"Oh and Cas?" _Dean asked.

"Yes Dean?" Castiel replied.

"_Don't forget to count." _

With that Dean hung up.

-8-8-8-8-8-

Castiel waited by the sign. It had been a long walk, but he didn't particularly care. He'd needed the exercise anyway. He kicked a stone that rested by his feet and felt the breeze blow through his black locks.

"_Nine hundred and ninety seven thousand nine hundred and ninety seven…" _

Castiel counted. No Dean.

_"Nine hundred and ninety eight thousand nine hundred and ninety eight…" _

Castiel still counted. Still no Dean.

"_Nine hundred and ninety nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine…"_

Castiel cried. He was almost done counting and Dean still hadn't shown.

_"Nine hundred and…"_

"Cas!" a voice yelled and Castiel's head shot up in Dean's direction. Those familiar green eyes filled with nothing but love and kindness as he smiled. "Over here!"

Castiel tore over towards Dean and cupped his cheeks. The pair rested their foreheads together and Castiel let the tears fall down his face, this time in relief and utter joy.

"I told you you'd never have to count to one million…" Dean stroked his cheek and smiled.

**Read and Reviews are nice! :D**

**A/N: This came to me randomly and I loved the idea of it so I wrote it! I hope you all enjoyed it!**


End file.
